May 2, 2015
PREVIOUS WEEK ' < May 2 > 'NEXT WEEK UFFL ROOKIE COMBINE 2015 Dallas, Texas (May 2nd-3rd, 2015) The Texas Ramblers organization graciously hosted the first annual UFFL Rookie Combine. While the news got out slowly and the hastiness of the event prevented full participation, some of the best and brightest of our football futures centralized in the sprawling city. The beautiful, sunny weather and warm heat did not effect the performances of the athletes, as it was an indoor event. ** To prevent discrimination or bias, the species of each athlete has not been disclosed. Additionally, any references in the testimonials to the species performing has been removed. '' Nevertheless, here are the results from the participants in each event. Results ** Charles Snyder, Travis Westmore, and Zack McFollister did not participate in the Vertical Jump, Broad Jump, or Three-Cone Drill events. ---- Testimonials (in no particular order): 'Mylene Jean: Jean had a decent combine that many of the scout's high expectations. Her training in the summer must've done the trick; she excelled in events, showing her agility and speed - which are known for her species. 'Cecil Grates: '''Cecil Grates of Privost University was hard to miss, if by sheer size alone. The large player appeared to come in to show what all he was capable of, especially in the strength sector. However, he may just make up for what he lacks in that performance with his overall physical strength and height. With the drills, he has shown that he does know his position well, and knows how to move at his size. He also had an impressive showing and showed that he does have good reactions and a good ability to read the offense. With some additional work, he could become very impressive in the long term. All in all, he did have a good showing at the combine, and many coaches and GMs are hoping to see what else he may be able to bring to the table during the run to the draft. 'Logan Virtanen: Logan would have performed well at the UFFL combine. Despite not being the fastest guy on the ground, his training and dedication allowed to remain in the average for his position. Where his strength lies is his strength. He would excel at the bench press, where his raw strength would have made him shine and perhaps even stand out. In addition, being just shy of 330 pounds, his weight and his strength would have helped produce a slightly higher than average broad jump score. He would have demonstrated that he's got the qualities needed of a defensive lineman: strength, mass, and determination. On the other hand, in areas that are typically weak for defensive linemen, he also showed weakness in. Not being the fastest, as stated before, his 40 yard dash and 3-cone drills would be within the average range for defensive linemen, which is lower than most other positions. In addition, because of his weight and physiology, his vertical jump score is on the lower end for his position. However, while his speed and agility are somewhat weak, this is within the paradigm of his position and his strength is exceptional. He doesn't need to try to stand out with speed during this combine, and Logan knows this. He would have focused his energies on impressing the scouts in the attributes that are important to the defensive line. Charles Snyder: 'Charles is not meant to be very fast, but he showed he can be a good defender when it comes to the defensive linemen coming up to the quarterback, protecting him at all costs. His massive strength earned him 3rd place in Bench Press. His speed is not impressive, but his strength and stamina is not considered to be important here. 'Andrew Castonguay: 'Andrew worked his thigh strength well for someone in his position during the combine. His broad jump score, along with his distance into some of the kicks he took, showed his nimbleness and how much power and precision he can put into his kicks - especially for someone as his species not being known for. 'Kevin Cousineau: During the combine, Kevin showed some decent results at his position, especially with his 40 yard dash and 3 cone drill, showing some mobility for a big player at his spot. Lita Stevens: Lita had a solid combine, as her personality really caught on well with many scouts as she looked dedicated in performing to expectations. Her workouts left some to be desired, but she worked really well during her position drills. Michelle Housley: Michelle might have shown that she needs to build up some bulk and strength during her combine, but her nice speed, athleticism and scrambling ability made her a great candidate for a running quarterback playbook. Oliver Smithson: 'Oliver clearly has the agility and elusiveness that one of his species and position would be expected to have, as his 3-Cone time was one of the best at his position. While he may not have a blinding top speed that some may desire from a back, he reaches that speed quickly and can stop and start effortlessly. Oliver's size may be a detriment, and his bench press numbers may suggest that he may not stand up to the rigors of the UFFL, but he has the potential to be a solid back in the league. 'Jean-Etienne Tremblay: Tremblay came to the combine with a lot of expectations on him, as many analysts and scouts billed him as a potential first-round draft pick. Despite many eyes, Tremblay was focused and confident. He was ready to work as he always liked to do, and was ready to show his talent to a wider audience. In his 40-yard dash, while he seemed to have a slow start in the first 10 yards, his power and momentum gave him quite a decent score. Tremblay was proud of this accomplishment, having worked hard to shed his score under 4.60 seconds. He went on to complete his vertical and Broad jump with the same confidence, showing again some great energy into his jump but again, lacking a bit of nimbleness, his power alone gave him lower scores. The real event, though, that marked Tremblay's combine, was the bench press. Tremblay's strength was well documented, but everyone was eager to see him show it - and show it he did. Tremblay completed his run with ease as he was congratulated by fellow rookies and veterans coming to see. Aaron Foster: Aaron had a clean performance in the combine, showing skills that billed him into maybe becoming a competent and reliable safety in the future. Any team that needs a steady fur on defense should consider Foster, who visibly works hard to keep on target. Tryggr Lang: Tryggr had waited many years for this moment to arrive, to work out in front of the teams and show what he's capable of. With an overall pretty good showing, he hopes his dream will be realized when draft day rolls around. His potential is certainly high, doing well at showing his strength off for the scouts, but lacking in his leaping ability. Roy Viridi-Aqua: Roy has been readying himself for a full month but still showed his nerves when watching others complete each test with not only confidence but good results. He came here to prove something, if not to others than himself, and watching great athletes that are his peers bring him back to a stable reality shakes him, but he does not waver. The 40 Yard Dash he is ready for, his endurance and bursts of speed vastly improving since his college days. He even made sure to get a hair cut so his fur didn't slow him down. Once at the line, he is entirely focused, right to the edge of the mini-second, till- BOOM! The loud noise that rings through his ears is soon far behind him. The air races around him like a fire with the sun shining brightly in his eyes. The pain of his chest being repressed and pushed down as air fills his rapidly changing lungs till STOP! He is out of breath, but still can't stop his head from looking at his time. People take photos - they didn't think he could run apparently! They quickly move him to the bench, endurance being one of his best traits, any tension is gone as he focuses on each rep. He knows better than to hurt himself, so he only does what he knows his arms (or arm) will take without complaint, a solid 20! Someone asks Roy how he can do that many with a busted arm, and Roy only smiles as he wipes his face off with a towel. With the vertical jump, he naturally has been doing this ever since he was young, leaping up canyon walls to see beautiful sunsets over the dry and calm deserts. People yelp when they see him lift off the ground with a sense of floating multiple times. Whether they are impressed or not, Roy isn't sure. Right after is the broad jump, which Roy hasn't had as much experience in, still understands how to jump long. Roy is starting to have fun now, talking with others and discussing future games they might either play in or fight against each other. The cone drill is Roy's hardest test and he knows it, but being well tested most of the day and pumped from the others, he takes it as best as he can give. Although not the best time, he is proud that his dynamic training paid off, and hopes it will improve when he is able to apply these skills on the field. Olliver McKinnon: Oliver was really driven in the combine with a solid performance. Showing some intensity in each of his exercises, he proved he could be a potent threat for a club that looks for some dedicated and aggressive players. His mindset and psychological profile need to be looked upon carefully. Justice Matari: Justice exhibited good balance, quick hands and an ability to add yardage after the catch, not to mention some of the best jumping ability of any receiver in the class. However, he doesn't turn in the fastest times, and could stand to improve his route-running, blocking and ability to catch balls in traffic. '''John Gradkowski: '''John had a fairly good day at the combine, recording a fast 40-time. His bench press score was a bit above average when it comes to wide-outs. His vertical jump score was about average for a receiver. His broad jump was a decent 119 Inches.